For Google, this isn’t a huge investment, but they stand to gain a lot. I think that the major benefit for them would be if the number of quality non English pages raised dramatically.

Google makes their money selling ad space. The better the contents, the more expensive the ads. So, by facilitating the creation of human written contents, Google just creates more advertising real-estate.

Whenever they give out free stuff, some vendors need to be alert. People who sell Translation Memory might this new competition difficult to manage. Especially since Google clearly decided to make it a commodity.

Professional translators in proz are discussing this too:
http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/111803-google_translation_center_a_new_online_market_for_translators.html

For Google, this isn’t a huge investment, but they stand to gain a lot. I think that the major benefit for them would be if the number of quality non English pages raised dramatically.

Google makes their money selling ad space. The better the contents, the more expensive the ads. So, by facilitating the creation of human written contents, Google just creates more advertising real-estate.

Whenever they give out free stuff, some vendors need to be alert. People who sell Translation Memory might this new competition difficult to manage. Especially since Google clearly decided to make it a commodity.

Professional translators in proz are discussing this too:
http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/111803-google_translation_center_a_new_online_market_for_translators.html

A translation center is fine, automagic translation never is. I strongly remember the ‘babel’ translation of some UK websites into Dutch when a MLM company ventured out to the ‘low-lands’. Neighbourhood watch was relentlessly translated in buurt (neighbourhood) horloge (watch, but then the ‘time-piece’ you wrap around your wrist to ‘watch time go by’ )

Plus, as a ‘foreigner’ living and working in a country with a different language than our ‘native tongue’ slowly shows you the nuances this ‘new’ language has – even though we’ve been taught English since secondary school, living and breathing a language is quite different. (And we’ve learned a lot, but still speak ‘double Dutch English’ sometimes)

A communication network focused on highlighting, capturing the nuance of languages would be great: making sure the nuance of the original intent and meaning of the text gets captured with the nuance of the targeted language.

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

A translation center is fine, automagic translation never is. I strongly remember the ‘babel’ translation of some UK websites into Dutch when a MLM company ventured out to the ‘low-lands’. Neighbourhood watch was relentlessly translated in buurt (neighbourhood) horloge (watch, but then the ‘time-piece’ you wrap around your wrist to ‘watch time go by’ )

Plus, as a ‘foreigner’ living and working in a country with a different language than our ‘native tongue’ slowly shows you the nuances this ‘new’ language has – even though we’ve been taught English since secondary school, living and breathing a language is quite different. (And we’ve learned a lot, but still speak ‘double Dutch English’ sometimes)

A communication network focused on highlighting, capturing the nuance of languages would be great: making sure the nuance of the original intent and meaning of the text gets captured with the nuance of the targeted language.

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)